ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. season — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — to handle
  5. can — to be able to
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. can — a tin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bound — certain
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. row — a line
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com